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South Korea Part Two: Going for Gold.
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When you need something bright, cozy, and low-effort, this one-skillet chicken and orzo hits the spot. Think crispy seared chicken, caramelized lemon, and garlicky, butter-kissed orzo that soaks up all the flavor.
It’s weeknight-easy, pantry-friendly, and pretty enough to bring right to the table. Grab a lemon (Meyer if you’ve got it), a handful of greens, and let the oven finish the work.
You guys, I am not going to lie, at this point I really don’t even know what day it is. This entire time I’ve been in South Korea, I think I have asked what day it is and what the time is over and over again. South Korea is one day and sixteen hours ahead of MST, so the jet leg struggle was, and is, real. Because of work, I needed to be going back and forth between US time and Korean time and for me, it just got way too confusing.
By the time you all read this I should hopefully be home, as I am heading out in a couple of hours with a few family members along with me. I am currently writing this post while sitting in a hotel room in Seoul, trying to catch up on work…and scrolling through all the AMAZING comments, social media tags, and press from the last three days. It’s truly amazing. Thanks for the support you all are showing my brother. He’s living up this gold medal win (well sort of, the jet lag on this quick trip cannot be fun) and traveling around with my brother Malachi, doing a quick US press tour. However, they’ll both be back on a plane to South Korea in a couple of days, as Red needs to start practice for Men’s Snowboard Big Air.
Crazy, crazy ride those two are on…
I mean, did you catch Red on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday night? Here’s the link if you’d like to watch.
And that’s your quick Red and Kai update for the day. Let’s talk food, because you know, that is what I do best.
While the food here in South Korea has been awesome…there’s been a lot of Korean Beef, ramen, and we had some amazing dumplings yesterday in Seoul…I must say, I’m looking forward to heading home and cooking up some of my favorite comfort meals, like this easy one skillet chicken dinner.
I made this before we left for Korea and it was the perfect easy, healthy, cozy dinner to eat the day before a long flight. Plus, it’s full of carbs, lemon, and veggies, so very much my kind of food.
The chicken is pan seared along with some fresh lemon slices and a little butter. The chicken becomes crispy, and the lemon slices caramelize, making them sweet enough to eat. I am aware that eating the whole lemon, peel and all, is still a little odd to many of you, but try it out this way. I promise, it’s so good.
The chicken and lemon alone could be an awesome recipe, classic and delicious, but me being me, I needed to add a little more to the recipe, so in came the orzo.
I mean, obviously, you have to have the carbs, you just do.
You could certainly use quinoa or another grain, but if I were you, I’d go with the orzo. It’s just fitting with this recipe and so delicious in the lemon butter sauce.
This recipe is not only delicious, it’s also super easy…one skillet, under an hour, and uses mostly pantry staple ingredients.
Cool. Cool.
It’s a crowd pleaser, and actually comes out of the oven looking relatively pretty. I threw on some fresh dill for color and served the chicken and orzo up right out of the skillet. Perfect for easy weeknight dinners or even entertaining.
Also, I get a lot of questions about what my favorite cast iron skillet is…I always, always use Staub. The ten and twelve inch are my favorites, I used the twelve inch for this recipe.
If I wasn’t getting home so late tonight, I’d for sure be making this for dinner. Instead, this will definitely be on my table as Friday night’s meal.
Can’t wait to start getting caught up on everything at home. Sorry for being MIA with comments this past week, I will be catching up soon. Thanks for all the messages!
Watch the How To Video Here:
One Skillet Lemon Butter Chicken and Orzo
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 337 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breasts or small thighs
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 Meyer or regular lemon, sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 a bunch kale, roughly torn
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.2. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or cast iron skillet set over medium high heat. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet. 3. To the same skillet, add the butter and lemon slices. Sear the lemon until golden on each side, about 1 minute. Remove the lemon from the pan and add to the plate with the chicken. 4. To the same skillet, add the garlic and orzo. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and the orzo toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Add the wine to the skillet and de-glaze the pan. Add the chicken broth, kale, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir. Slide the chicken, lemon slices, and any juices left on the pan back into the skillet. Transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.4. Serve the chicken topped with fresh dill and lemon zest. EAT!
Chicken dinner for the win…or the GOLD?! I dunno, but clearly I am still way too excited that my brother is an Olympic Gold Medalist. No big deal or anything…
This post was originally published on February 15, 2018
This was excellent! Perfect blend of flavors. My family loved it and the recipe was easy to follow.
Hey Amy,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xTieghan
Hey looks amazing! However, my oven isn’t very good – would I be able to keep this stove top to finish the cooking of the chicken? How long would you recommend? Thanks xx
Hey there,
Yes, I think that would work well, I would do 15-20 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious lemony goodness!
Thanks so much Cheryl! xTieghan
Love the fresh & light flavors! Re-watched your bro win Olympic gold and totally remember watching it when it happened, too!!
Thanks so much Sarah!! xTieghan
How many cups of Kale are in 1/2 of a bunch? Thank you!
Hey Cassandra,
Sorry I really don’t know, it doesn’t have to be exact, just use the kale to your liking. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious!!! Had to make a few substitutions but it still came out awesome. Added sugar snap peas. Subbed vegetable stock for chicken/wine. I can’t believe how tasty the lemon slices are after they’ve been cooked! Eating them is a first for me. Will definitely be cooking this again. Thanks!
Hey Sydney,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
I’m cooking for someone who can’t eat any butter. Would olive oil work as a substitute, or should I try another recipe instead? I’ve made this with the butter and it’s delicious!
Hey Annie,
I would give ghee a try! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do I use pre-cooked orzo?
Hey Angie,
Nope, you are going to use uncooked orzo. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Followed the recipe to the letter, it’s really bitter, now my family aren’t talking to me! 🙁
Hey there,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, let me know how I can help:) xTieghan
This recipe was super easy and very delicious. I used dry vermouth with veg stock and upped the lemon for preference but one pan meals are so satisfying! Thanks.
Hey there,
I am so thrilled the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Friday! xTieghan
Can you tell me if you used boneless or bone-in chicken? I follow you on Instagram!
Hey Jennifer,
I used a combo of both:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
I recently tried one of your other recipes with chicken, orzo and a cream sauce and it was amazing! The only problem was there wasn’t enough orzo to feed a family of 5. If I use a whole box of orzo instead of a cup, would I just add the equivalent of broth and wine? (Meaning if I double the orzo, would I double the broth and wine)? This look so good and a bit healthier than the cream sauce recipes. Thank you for sharing these with us!
Hey Shannon,
Yes, that is correct! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! Recipe looks amazing, I’m going to make it next week for dinner one night. Can you substitute spinach for kale? And to confirm, you put the skillet with all the food in to the oven to finish at the end? I wasn’t sure because it said “slide it from the pan back to the skillet.” Where does the pan come in to play here? Thanks so much!
Hey Amy,
Yes, you can use spinach in place of kale and yes you just add your skillet into the oven:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
what can i use instead of white wine?
thank you
Hey Ann,
You can use chicken broth in place of the wine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I did almost nothing different (a minor substitution for what was on hand). There were no leftovers.
Hey there,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) xTieghan